Early years Laura Ana Merello, known as "Tita" was born on 11 October 1904 in a tenement in the neighborhood of
San Telmo, Buenos Aires to the coachman Santiago Merello and an ironer, Ana Gianelli. The house where she was born has been designated as a historical site. Her birth certificate did not show her mother's name, but when she was four, her mother's name was recorded with the mother's nationality of Uruguayan. She had a younger half-brother, Pascual Anselmi, who had a different father. Her father died of
tuberculosis when she was less than a year old. Merello had a difficult childhood marked by poverty. She was sent to an orphan asylum at age five because her mother had to work. While still a child, she was taken to
Montevideo, Uruguay, where she worked as a maid without pay. milking cows, cutting
yerba mate and grilling food for the workers. She said she knew hunger and fear firsthand, as she lived it every day of her childhood, never going to school or learning to read or write. The place had a reputation and women who worked there were thought to be employed somewhere between the "lunfardo" (the Argentine underworld) and a bordello. Around 1919, she was performing at the Teatro Porteño in the chorus line and was fined 20 pesos because she wasn't wearing stockings. Years later, in the 1930s, Morello commented how things had changed and women were being paid to go without them. Some sources have claimed that Merello filmed silent movies in this period; others claim that "a" movie happened a decade later in 1928; and some claim her first film was not until
¡Tango! in 1933. Some claim there were three films,
Buenos Aires tenebroso (1918), a crime drama;
La garra porteña; (1918), and
Amor de primavera (1918–1919) both directed by Juan Glizé and Vicente Marracino. but the year varies from 1917 to 1928. She sang "Trago amargo", a tango, to wide acclaim. In 1925, she performed in the revue
Mujeres, flores y alegría, in which she sang the tango "Pedime lo que Querés" by
Francisco Canaro with lyrics by
Juan Andrés Caruso. Later that year she premiered the tango "Leguisamo Solo" by
Modesto Papavero, which had been written as homage to Uruguayan jockey
Irineo Leguisamo. The tango appeared in the revue
En la raya lo esperamos by
Luis Bayón Herrera at the Teatro Bataclán. She finally was asked to play a role in a dramatic play,
El Lazo; her performance earned her an introduction to Pascual Carcavallo, owner of the Teatro Nacional. In 1927, she returned to the Maipo theater to perform the tango "Un tropezón" with
Elías Alippi and
Sofia Bozán. In 1930, she performed onstage in
El rancho del hermano. A big opportunity presented itself in 1931.
Libertad Lamarque had been playing the role of Doce Pesos in "El conventillo de la Paloma" for two years and had over 1,000 performances. She was ready to quit the production and she offered the part to Merello, who quickly accepted. The following year, in 1932, as part of the Compañia de Canaro she worked on the play "La muchachada del centro" and performed the tangos "La muchachada del centro" and a milonga "Me enamore una vez" in the play. It was very successful, running for nearly 900 performances.
Early film career (1933–1945) '' (1933), the first sound film in
Argentine cinema. She made her debut in talking films in Argentina's first sound film,
¡Tango! (1933), directed by
Luis José Moglia Barth, for which she received 200 pesos. The stars of the film were
Pepe Arias and
Libertad Lamarque. She would also meet a young comic in the film,
Luis Sandrini, who had a small part in the film. She followed it with
Ídolos de la radio (1934) a production by
Francisco Canaro directed by
Eduardo Morera and written by
Nicolás de las Llanderas and
Arnaldo Malfatti. The musical starred many of Argentina's radio stars. The film was successful and led to the creation of both radio magazines and a new genre of film. In 1935, she starred in
Noches de Buenos Aires directed by
Manuel Romero with
Fernando Ochóa,
Severo Fernández and
Irma Córdoba. in
La fuga (1937). In
Así es el tango (1937), directed by
Eduardo Morera with
Olinda Bozán, Merello played a comic role opposite the heroine's role assigned to
Luisa Vehil. That same year she followed in a dramatic role in the film,
La fuga The movie starred
Santiago Arrieta and
Francisco Petrone and earned praise from the critics. Following the trend, she began a theatrical run in Montevideo, Uruguay in the play
Santa María del Buen Ayre written by
Enrique Larreta, which was one of her most acclaimed theatrical roles. Merello was in the play
Sexteto by
Ladislao Fodor, under the direction of
Edmundo Guibourg opened in 1941 She made two films in 1942,
Ceniza al viento directed by Luis Saslavsky with
Pedro López Lagar,
Alita Román, and
Berta Singerman and
27 millones directed by
José Bohr and not released until 1947. In 1943, she premiered the play
Buenos Aires de ayer y de hoy by
Ivo Pelay and
Francisco Canaro in Montevideo. The play contained a song that would become recognized as a signature song for Merello, "Se dice de mí". In 1945, she performed in
Una mujer y un hombre by Pelay under the direction of
Manuel Romero Middle career (1946–1955) In late 1946, Merello went with Sandrini to Mexico. She was contracted to play the cabaret woman who seduced the star
Arturo de Córdova in
Cinco rostros de mujer The film was directed by
Gilberto Martínez Solares and starred Merello, Córdova and
Ana María Campoy. Originally three films were to have been made, but the production company went into receivership after one film. She won an
Ariel Award as Best Supporting Actress for her work in "Faces" at the 1948 ceremonies. She returned to Argentina in 1947 and appeared in the musical comedic play
Malena Luce Sus Pistolas, In 1948, Sandrini returned In 1948, she starred in the play
Filomena Marturano by
Eduardo De Filippo, In 1949, she released
Morir en su ley directed by
Manuel Romero with
Roberto Escalada,
Juan José Míguez and
Fanny Navarro and
La historia del tango directed by Manuel Romero with
Fernando Lamas,
Virginia Luque and
Tito Lusiardo. Merello also started appearing at this time on a weekly radio show called
Ahora habla una mujer which aired Monday to Friday at 20:30 on the Private Broadcasting Network. In 1950, Merello starred in one of her most acclaimed films,
Arrabalera, directed by
Tulio Demicheli in his solo debut with
Santiago Gómez Cou. In 1950, she won the
Premios Sur Award for Best Actress for her performance in
Arrabalera Those successes were followed with three films that were directed by
Lucas Demare:
Los isleros (1951),
Guacho (1954) and
Mercado de abasto (1955). In 1953, she was performing at the Teatro Odeón in
Hombres en mi vida by
Eduardo Pappo. 1955 proved to be a busy year as she made three other films:
Para vestir santos,
El Amor Nunca Muere and
La Morocha.
Para vestir santos was directed by
Leopoldo Torre Nilsson with supporting roles by
Beatriz Taibo and
Yuki Nambá.
El amor nunca muere was directed by
Luis César Amadori and she starred with
Mirtha Legrand and
Zully Moreno. Her last film in the period would be
La morocha directed by
Ralph Pappier with
Alfredo Alcón and
Luis Arata, which was not released until 1958, because of the 1955
military coup d'état which ended the presidency of
Juan Perón and sent many into exile. In the 1950s, Uruguayan
travesti Gloria Meneses impersonated Merello as part of her cabaret performances.
Exile and underground (1955–1958) Though Merello was not political, her success under the Perón regime made her a target and she was accused of trafficking
Ceylon tea by an investigating commission. Fleeing to Mexico to escape, she thought she might never work again. She tried to settle in Mexico, but was unable to find work. Merello returned to Argentina at the invitation of
Hugo del Carril and worked in an amusement park. At one point, she worked for a time in the circus
Late career (1958–1985) She immediately returned to the stage in 1958 with two productions:
Amorina by
Eduardo Borrás followed by
Luces de Buenos Aires She starred in
Miércoles de ceniza by
Luis Basurto in 1959 under the direction of
Cecilio Madanes, sharing the lead alternately with
Eva Frano and in 1961 she performed
Estrellas en el Avenia under the direction of
Cecilio Madanes. She returned to the theater in 1962 with
La Moreira by
Juan Carlos Ghiano and the following year performed
Carolina Paternóster by
Eduardo Pappo. That same year, she also made three films.
Los evadidos was directed by
Enrique Carreras and Merello played opposite
Jorge Salcedo.
Mercedes Carreras and
Ángel Magaña starred with her in
Ritmo nuevo, vieja ola, directed by Carreras and it wouldn't be released until 1965. In
La industria del matrimonio, she again teamed with Magaña and Enrique Carreras. Merello filmed
Los hipócritas in 1965 under the direction of Enrique Carreras and in 1966 returned to the stage appearing in
El andador by
Norberto Aroldi, She made two more films with Carreras directing,
¡Ésto es alegría! (1967) and
¡Viva la vida! (1969) to finish the 1960s. According to her autobiography, Merello also made nearly 40 recordings during this period with the orchestra of
Carlos Figari and
Héctor Varela. Merello hosted a talk show,
Charlando de todo con Tita on channel 13 from 1970 to 1971 where she told anecdotes, sang and gave advice. In 1972, she played in
Mar del Plata with a production of
Astros y estrellas. which was well received. Merello starred in
La risa es salud by Hugo Moser in 1976 and finished out the year at Mar del Plata in a revue with
Los Chalchaleros and
Mariano Mores. The following year, she revived a talk show format for television with the ATC Channel's
Todo Tita. She received a Konex Foundation Diploma of Merit for Best Actress of Dramatic Film and Theater in 1981 After a cancer scare in the 1980s, Merello became the spokeswoman for a series of
PSAs reminding women to get annual
Pap tests and
gynecological exams. and later that same year won a second Diploma of Merit from the Konex Foundation for recognition as Female Tango Singer. In 1987 Merello was awarded the title "honorable neighbor" of the city of
Villa Gesell and shortly thereafter named "Living Legend Citizen of the City of Buenos Aires". She received the Argentina Association of Actors (AAA) Premio Pablo Podestá in 1991, a plaque was affixed marking the place of her birth in 1993, and in 1999 the Neighborhood Association of San Cristobal named a city square after her. ==Personal life and death==